Longevity - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 55: Enemies on a Single Log
Worry never left Pa Jomun’s face.
Jangseong recalled how carefully Pa Jomun had looked after him these past few days. Though there was little he could offer in return, standing idle felt wrong.

“General Pa, please don’t trouble yourself. We ride the current downstream, but the return vessel must fight against it. It may still be on its way.”

Pa Jomun shook his head.

“That vessel has sails to catch the wind and more than twenty oarsmen. If it hadn’t been delayed by trouble, it should have arrived a day ago.”
“What if we pause here and wait?”
“That’s not possible.”

Pa Jomun’s answer was terse.

“Both vessels carry military provisions. Miss our deadline, and military law takes hold. Whatever’s happened to that ship, we must reach the lower river on schedule.”

Jangseong fell silent.
For a passenger, stopping the vessel was simple. But for Pa Jomun and his men, delay meant death.
Jangseong knew almost nothing of the world’s affairs. He’d heard only that military governors across the land fought with their armies, but he didn’t know who held which territory. After hiding in the mountains for three months, he understood even less about the regions they were passing through.
He couldn’t pretend to knowledge he didn’t possess.
Pa Jomun tapped his shoulder.

We passed through Ezhou yesterday, so we’ll reach Xiangzhou by tomorrow morning. You can disembark there.

“Yes, sir.”

Jangseong answered first and thought later.
His original destination, which he’d told Liu Youcheng, was Xiangzhou. But he’d actually planned to continue further downstream to Ganzhou.

If war had broken out in the lower regions, disembarking at Xiangzhou and taking the land route might have been safer. But a journey of six days by boat would take two or three months on foot. And a man with no martial arts wandering alone through war-torn roads wasn’t safe either.

He still had no answer.
The Ship Captain stood at the bow all day long. Each time they passed a smaller vessel heading upstream, he’d call out asking if anyone had seen another government vessel or knew of trouble in the lower river.
The answers were always the same.

“Haven’t seen one!”
“Know nothing about it!”

The small boats kept to nearby ferries and villages. They knew nothing of the distant lower river.
No other government vessel appeared until the sun hung low over the western waters.
The faces of Pa Jomun, the soldiers, and the oarsmen all grew taut. No one spoke it aloud, but they all seemed to share the same thought: something had happened to that ship.
Still, the government vessel didn’t slow.
A boat laden with military provisions could neither turn back nor afford to wait.
That evening Jangseong encountered Pa Jomun again. He wanted to ask who might have stopped the other vessel, but seeing Pa Jomun’s bloodshot eyes, he swallowed the question. Even if he learned the answer, there was nothing he could do. Idle questions would only add to the worry.
That night the vessel didn’t stop either. Each time the hull cut through the current, the walls hummed low, and whenever Jangseong closed his eyes, he saw the empty river and the government vessel that wouldn’t return.
* * *
The next morning, the government vessel reached the Xiangzhou Wharf.

The moment the rope was tied to the post, Pa Jomun and the Ship Captain hurried down the gangway. They meant to learn news of the other vessel and the situation downstream.
Many passengers had already disembarked at Ezhou, and again, administrative families gathered their luggage and made their way to the wharf. The deck had noticeably emptied.

Jangseong had tied the carrying bag shut, but he couldn’t bring himself to lift it.
If he disembarked at Xiangzhou, he could avoid the treacherous river route. Instead, he would have to travel overland all the way to Ganzhou. He had no information to judge which path was truly more dangerous.

Just then, the young lady he’d seen the previous day emerged onto the deck with her attendant. Beside her stood Madam Zhao, her hair streaked with white, and two men dressed as warriors.

They had not unloaded their belongings.
Lady Zhao, who had been speaking of Jinyeoup’s whereabouts, appeared to be continuing on to Ganzhou.

Jangseong untied the knot on his carrying bag.
He possessed no strength to protect Lady Zhao. Should danger strike, he would likely fall before either of the two warriors. Yet if he remained aboard, he could at least witness whatever came to pass. And if he survived, he could relay word to Jinyeoup.
Moreover, the overland route would require crossing unfamiliar territory controlled by rival warlords and passing through war zones. The dangers on the river were at least visible before him, but the perils lurking along the road remained hidden in shadow.
That alone was reason enough to stay aboard.
Only when evening fell did Pa Jomun and the Ship Captain return.
After the anchor was raised and the vessel drew away from the wharf, Pa Jomun spotted Jangseong.

“Why didn’t you disembark?”
“The destination has changed. I intend to continue on to Ganzhou.”

Pa Jomun seemed puzzled but pressed him no further.
Jangseong spoke first.

“Have you found any word of other government vessels?”
“Nothing. Our boat isn’t even under Xiangzhou’s jurisdiction, so they haven’t been tracking us here.”

“Is there war downstream?”
“No reports of that.”

Pa Jomun’s expression eased somewhat.

“What worried me most was rebel forces blocking the passage. Barring that, ordinary bandits wouldn’t have the nerve to trouble a government vessel. They could have run aground and be making repairs somewhere downriver.”

It was a plausible theory.
Jangseong felt the tension drain from his shoulders. Having barely slept the night before, his eyelids hung heavy. He withdrew to his quarters and lay down for a time.
* * *
After midday, the heat began to seep even into the vessel’s interior.
Jangseong set a chair in the shade by the rail and sat. Fewer than thirty passengers remained. Most were bound for Ganzhou, among them Madam Zhao’s party.

Around the fifth hour, the river ahead branched into three channels.
From the broad river, tributaries split off both north and south. As the water divided, the current slowed compared to upstream. At the mouth of each tributary, a few small fishing boats drifted scattered, their nets cast wide.
As the government vessel drew near, the fishing boats simultaneously began reeling in their nets.
At first, Jangseong thought they were simply clearing the way.
But the small craft did not withdraw into the tributaries. Instead, they turned their bows toward the government vessel and rowed straight toward it with sudden speed.
Not just one.
The boats scattered across the south and north channels moved in unison. Their movements as they hauled in their nets came far too quickly. Each boat showed only one man on deck, yet their bows cut through the water with gathering momentum.
Jangseong bolted upright from his chair.
True fishermen would have veered aside to avoid the path of a large government vessel. Yet these small boats advanced in a wide dispersal, closing in from both sides like a net drawing tight. Their rowing rhythm was perfectly synchronized.

“Pa!”

He sprinted toward the captain’s quarters.

“Small boats closing in on us!”

Pa Jomun, who had gone sleepless for days, had been resting in his cabin when the warning came. He cinched his belt and bolted out.
The fishing boats were already near.
Pa Jomun’s face went pale.

“All hands on deck! Arm yourselves!”

Soldiers came scrambling up from below.
Before they could form ranks.
Crash!
The cover of the foremost fishing boat tore away into the sky.
A man hidden beneath hurled himself onto the water. Each time his feet touched the surface, spray scattered shallow and light. Without sinking, he ran across the waves toward the government vessel.
Jangseong’s breath caught.
Many in the Martial World knew Lightness Skill, but few masters could run across water itself.
The man’s chest bore several yellow cloth patches.

“Gaibangs!”

Before Jangseong could finish his cry, the man planted his feet on the hull.
Thud!
With a single leap he landed on the upper deck and drew his blade.
Ring!
He ignored the soldiers around him and charged straight into the wheelhouse.
Pa Jomun led his men down the stairs, but he was one step too late.
A brief scream erupted from below. The wheelhouse fell silent, the hull lurched sharply, and the bow began turning toward the Northern Tributary.
Creeeeak.
The current against the ship’s side shifted direction. The speed dropped noticeably.
As if waiting for this moment, the remaining fishing boats swarmed in. Each had hidden an extra man beyond the rowers. Gaibangs disciples grabbed ropes and railings, leaping onto the deck in succession.
Soon the sounds of metal clanging and screams erupted from below.
Jangseong gripped the railing.
The Gaibangs were the group he hated most in the world. Yet they were also the group he feared most. They had no qualms about harming people and stealing their possessions.
He could not tell if they had come hunting for him.
The river current here was slower than upstream. He might be able to swim away if he jumped. But they had brought small boats too. Once discovered in the water, there would be nowhere to run.
To stand and fight with a blade when he had no Martial Arts was folly. Even as he looked for a place to hide, people were being dragged from the cabins.
While he hesitated, a man leaped from this deck to the third level.
Seeing a bald boy holding a staff, he scowled.

“Damn it, what’s a monk doing here?”

Crack!
A palm struck his cheek.
Jangseong fell sideways. The taste of blood spread through his mouth.
The man didn’t spare him another glance and charged into the cabin.

“Get out here!”
“Gather the valuables! Hide them and die!”

Guard escorts traveling with the passengers drew their blades to block the way. But the Gaibangs disciples did not hesitate. With each flash of steel, another guard fell to the floor.
The fighting below did not last long.
Though Pa Jomun commanded many soldiers, the attackers were all masters. Below deck, spears clashed and bodies slammed against walls in rapid succession. Screams and footsteps tangled together briefly, then the sounds of resistance faded sharply.
The Gaibangs held the wheelhouse and drove the government vessel toward the Northern Tributary. Others kicked open cabin doors and dragged passengers out onto the deck.
Madam Zhao and Lady Zhao were among them. The two escort guards were nowhere to be seen.
Gaibangs disciples moved through them one by one with drawn blades, searching bodies and belongings. Even hairpins and bracelets were stripped away.
An old man leaning on a staff stepped forward.

“You lawless wretches! Do you know who I am?”
“Don’t care.”

A blade flashed once, sharp and brief.
Crunch!
The old man’s body collapsed before Jangseong. Blood surging from his severed neck sprayed across his face and chest.
Women’s screams erupted.

“Silence!”

A Gaibangs disciple twisted his blade.

“One more sound and I’ll kill you all.”

The screams died in their throats.
Jangseong wiped the blood from his eyes with his sleeve. Now the purpose of the attack became clear.
They hadn’t come looking for him. They were after military provisions and the passengers’ valuables. The other government vessels that hadn’t returned likely fell to the same men.
That explained the delay Pa Jomun had feared. If they seized the government vessel, dragged it into a tributary, and disposed of the provisions and people, there would be no trace of vessels crossing the great river.
But there was no cause for relief.
Not a single one of them hid his face. Seizing a government vessel wasn’t mere robbery—it was treason against the imperial forces. The fact that they concealed nothing meant they had no intention of letting witnesses live.
The man who had struck him first approached again.
He scowled as he watched Jangseong wipe the blood from his face.

“Don’t let it cling to you like that.”

Thump!
A boot swept across his ribs and belly.
His breath shattered. Jangseong’s body drove backward over the rail into the void.
Splash!
Cold river water swallowed him whole.
His body didn’t move at first. His chest throbbed and he couldn’t draw breath. Only after drifting and tumbling through the current for a long time did sensation return.
Jangseong didn’t lift his face above the water. He went limp, letting the current carry him.
When his back floated to the surface, he shut his eyes. He stretched his arms and legs like a corpse.
A nearby fishing boat might have seen him. If they spotted him swimming, they would come and finish him.
The government vessel and fishing boats turned into the Northern Tributary. Jangseong’s body drifted downstream, away with the great river’s flow.
Only after the boats had shrunk to a safe distance did he flip his body and kick against the water.
The southern shore was closer.
Going there, he could distance himself from the Gaibangs gang. When heading toward Ganzhou, he wouldn’t need to cross the river again.

Going north would bring him near the tributary they entered. If the Gaibangs posted watch along the riverbank, he’d be caught the moment he climbed out of the water.
With only survival to consider, there was no reason to hesitate.
Jangseong looked back toward the Northern Tributary.
Lady Zhao was on that boat.
The Gaibangs showed no sign of sparing witnesses. If he turned away now, all he could tell Jinyeoup was that she’d been taken.
Jangseong clenched his teeth and turned his body northward.
The place where the boot had struck his chest throbbed with every breath. Wet clothes and carrying bag dragged his body down. Still, he gripped the Paulownia Branch in one hand and cut through the water, stretching his other arm forward.
The southern shore receded steadily.
Jangseong swam north, against the current.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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